Satisfactory Academic Progress MASFAA October 17, 2006

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Satisfactory Academic ProgressMASFAAOctober
17, 2006

• Patsy Myers Emery
• Director, Financial Aid Operations
• Office of Financial Aid
• Northwestern University
• Evanston, IL

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Why Monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress?

• The U.S. Department of Education requires an
  institution to monitor student academic progress
  not an institutional choice.
• Program Participation Agreement (PPA)
• comply with program statues, regulations and
  policies
• governing the FSA programs.

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Why? (contd)

• Federal Student Aid (FSA) Handbook
• Volume 1 - Student Eligibility
• Chapter 1 School-Determined Requirements
• Volume 2 School Eligibility Operations
• Chapter 6 Providing Consumer Information
• Chapter 10 Administrative Capability
• On-line access
• http//ifap.ed.gov/IFAPWebApp/currentSFAHandbooksP
  ag.jsp

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Compliance Requirements (Auditing)

• Student Eligibility (satisfactory progress
  towards degree completion).
• Administrative Capability (establish, publish and
  apply reasonable standards for measuring).
• Consumer Information (availability of information
  to students).

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Regular Student in an Eligible Program

• Must be a regular student enrolled in an eligible
  program in order to receive Federal Student
  Financial Aid (FSA).
• School must document a students enrollment (in
  an eligible program) at time of admission and at
  time of receipt of FSA funds

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Remedial Coursework

• Students enrolled solely in remedial classes are
  not considered to be in an eligible program.
• Different from preparatory coursework.
• If taking remedial courses within an eligible
  program the student is considered to be enrolled
  in a regular program.

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When to Count Remedial Classes

• May receive federal aid for up to one academic
  years worth of remedial classes (as part of a
  regular program) equal to
• - 30 semester or trimester hours
• - 45 quarter hours
• - 900 clock hours
• (See Enrollment Status FSA Handbook).

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Eligibility for Federal Student Assistance

• Qualified to study at the postsecondary level
• Ability to Benefit
• Enrolled in an eligible program (degree-seeking)
• Maintain progress toward degree completion (SAP)

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Guidelines for SAP

• Institution must establish guidelines to
  monitor progress
• Measurements for satisfactory academic progress
• - Qualitative Quantitative
• Must be the same as or more strict than
  institutional standards (for the same educational
  program)
• Guidelines apply to aided as well as non-aided
  periods of enrollment

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Qualitative Standards

• End of second academic year, the student must
  have a C average or its equivalent or have an
  academic standing consistent with the requirement
  for graduation from the program.
• May use escalating grade point standard by
  allowing lower average earlier in the program.
• If the institution does not use letter grades, it
  must define the equivalent of a C average.

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Quantitative Standards (contd)

• Determine number or percentage of courses,
  credit hours or clock hours completed.
• (Northwesterns satisfactory progress policy
  requires minimally 9 units per academic year over
  a period of 3 quarters.)

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Establishing Time Frame (For Program Completion)

• Establish maximum time frame in which the student
  is expected to complete their program.
• The time frame cannot exceed 150 of the
  published length of the program.

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150 Rule for Program Completion

• Examples
• 1 year program 1.5 years
• 2 year program 3 years
• 4 year program 6 years
• 5 year program 7.5 years
• To retain eligibility for FSA Funds.

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Probationary Period

• FSA Handbook
• Chapter 10 Administrative Capability
• Conditional or probationary periods
• During this period, could address Ws and
  Incompletes impacting satisfactory progress
• (Northwestern allows one quarter to re-establish
  academic progress before placing on SAP.)

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Losing Eligibility for FSA Funds

• Notification to student prior to cancellation of
  FSA funds.
• Establish written policy on reinstatement (of FSA
  funds).
• When student has not met SAP, letter (to student)
  must include reinstatement policy.

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Notification to Student

• Notification may include
• Student must develop an academic plan (with
  degree auditor) for timely completion of program
  (150 Rule).
• Meet with a mentor or tutor (to stay on track).

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Notification (contd)

• Establish a performance expectation
• completion of a minimum number of classes
  requiring a minimum GPA or equivalent of a C
• - performance expectation should be a part of the
  institutional policy regardless of SAP situation
  (placing on or removing from).

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Retaking Coursework

• FSA Handbook
• Volume 4 Processing Aid Managing FSA Funds
• For satisfactory academic progress purposes,
  each time a course is taken counts as an attempt
  only the first time a passing grade is received
  is counted as a completion.
• CONFUSINGsorry, there will be no discussion!

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Retaking Courses (contd)

• FSA Handbook
• Volume 2 Chapter 10
• Administrative Capability
• (page 2-176)
• a school can exclude grades for prior attempts
  when calculating a GPA but must include credits
  from all attempts when calculating maximum
  timeframe (150 rule).
• End of Discussion (hopefully)!

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How to Use Your System to Help Monitor
Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Create a Flag indicator (using the system)
• - Northwestern uses PeopleSoft
• Packaging Status Summary Panel indicates
• SAP Probation
• Develop reports, through Student Records or IT,
  to identify potential SAP problems
• FERPA not an issue with internal exchange of
  student data
• on a need to know basis

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Appeals

• If student is not making SAP, the student may
  appeal based upon mitigating circumstances.
• Mitigating Circumstances may include
• - Family (Death, Illness, Finances)
• - Health (of student)
• - Other Issues
• within the 150 rule.

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Appeals (contd)

• If appeal is accepted, documentation is required
  to support aid administrators decision.
• Northwestern requires a letter from the Dean,
  along with other documentation, to support
  appeal.

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NASFAA Monograph

• Satisfactory Academic Progress A Balancing Act
• Revised February 2004, Number 14
• Practical Information for Student Aid
  Professionals
• Includes
• - Regulations
• - Case studies
• - Checklist (to develop and/or evaluate
  the institutions SAP policy).

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• Q As?